Harvest Story Time – Preschool

Opening Song

Book:
Harvest in Fall by Mari Schuh

Song: “Pumkpin, Pumpkin” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle”)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
Once you were a seed so small, (pinch fingers together)
Now you are a great big ball! (make a big circle)
Pumpkin, pumpkin on the ground, (touch the ground)
How’d you get so big and round? (make a big circle)
(Source: Step by Step Childcare)

Book:
Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash by Sarah Weeks, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott

Song: “Autumn Leaves” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Autumn leaves are in the trees . . . All over town.
Autumn leaves are falling down . . . All over town.
Autumn leaves are whirling round . . .
Everybody rake them up . . .
Jump into the piles we made . . .

Flannel/Book:
Pick a Circle, Gather Squares: A Fall Harvest of Shapes by Felicia Sanzari Chernesky, illustrated by Susan Swan


Song: “The Dance Along Gong Song” – Jim Gill: The Irrational Anthem

Puppets/Book: Tops and Bottoms adapted and illustrated by Janet Stevens


Closing Rhyme

Activity: Garden growing and harvesting, imaginary play

Bus Story Time – Toddler

Opening song

Book: It’s a Field Trip, Busy Bus! by Jody Jensen Shaffer, illustrated by Claire Messer

Song: “(Silly) Wheels on the Bus” – Miss Nina and the Jumping Jacks: Every Day’s Your Birthday

Book: The Seals on the Bus by Lenny Hort, illustrated by G. Brian Karas

Song: “Drivin’ in my Car” – Ralph’s World: Ralph’s World

Song: “1-2 Hands” – Laurie Berkner: Superhero 

Rhyme: Stop Light March
Green says, “Go!” (march quickly)
Go! Go! Go!
Yellow says, “Slow!” (march slowly)
Slow…slow…slow
And red says, “Stop!” (stop and freeze)

Go! Go! Go! (march fast)
Slow…slow…slow (march slowly)
and STOP! (stop)

Book: The Bus Stop by Janet Morgan Stoeke

Song: “Icky-Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau: Kids and Kitties

Closing Song

Craft: Bus out of paper shapes

Farm Story Time – Everybody

Opening song

Book: Farmyard Beat by Lindsey Craig, illustrated by Marc Brown
farmyard-beat cover image

Song: “There’s a Dog in School” – Stuart Stotts and Tom Pease: Celebrate: A Song Resource

Book: Maisy’s Morning on the Farm by Lucy Cousins


Flannel Song with Ukulele:
“Mary Had a Little Lamb”

C          C          C      C                 G7        G7      C        C
Mary had a Little Lamb,  Little lamb, Little lamb

C            C        C        C        G7                      G7               C
Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was  ____ as _____

Book: Tractors by Wendy Strobel Dieker

Song: “The Tail of a Pig” (Tune: “The Wheels on the Bus”)
The tail of a pig curls round and round, round and round, round and round.
The tail of a pig curls round and round, All through the mud.

The mouth of a pig goes oink, oink, oink, Oink, oink, oink, oink, oink, oink.
The mouth of a pig goes oink, oink, oink, All day long.

The snout of a pig goes root, root, root, Root, root, root, root, root, root.
The snout of a pig goes root, root, root, All day long.

The trotters of the pig go run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run.
The trotters of the pig go run, run, run, All day long.

The ears of the pig go twitch, twitch, twich, Twitch, twitch, twitch, twitch, twitch, twitch.
The ears of a pig to twitch, twitch, twitch, All day long.

Flannel/Song: “Five Clean and Squeaky Pigs” (Tune: “Five Green and Speckled Frogs”)
Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink!
One jumped into the mud
Landed with a big THUD
Then there were four clean squeaky pigs.
(Credit: Mel’s Desk)

Book:  Is Everyone Ready for Fun? By Jan Thomas
Is Everyone Ready for Fun? book cover

Song: “Clap Your Hands”- Old Town School of Folk Music: Wiggleworms Love You

Closing Song

Craft: Rainbow Shape Animals from MakingLearningFun.com
template 

 

Forest Animals Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner

Rhyme: Here is a Cave
Here is a cave. Inside is a bear. (bend fingers on one hand; put thumb inside)
Now he comes out to get some fresh air. (pop out thumb)
He stays out all summer in sunshine and heat.
He hunts in the forest for berries to eat. (move thumb in a circle)
When snow starts to fall, he hurries inside
His warm little cave and there he will hide. (put thumb inside fingers)
Snow covers the cave like a fluffy white rug.
Inside the bear sleeps all cozy and snug. (place one hand over the other)

Song: “Raccoon Sitting in a Tree” (Tune: “Twinkle, Twinkle”)
Raccoon, raccoon, climbing a tree (make climbing motions)
Wearing a mask, you can’t fool me (hands circle eyes, then shake finger)
Hiding there so I can’t see (point to eyes)
What you’re doing in that tree (hands stretched over head like a tree)
Raccoon, raccoon, climbing a tree (make climbing motions)
Wearing a mask, you can’t fool me (hands circle eyes, then shake finger)

Book: Night Owl by Toni Yuly

Puppets/Rhyme:  There’s Something in the Woods
There’s something in the woods, that I can’t really see. (hands around eyes like binoculars) There’s something in the woods. Now what can it be? (hold up hands, shrug shoulders in question)

Repeat above rhyme before giving each clue…
I’m an animal who’s big, brown and furry and who “Roars” (bear).
I’m an animal who’s who has long ears and goes “Hop, hop, hop” (rabbit).
I’m an animal who says ‘whoo, whoo’ at night (Owl).
I’m an animal who’s red, furry, has a big bushy tail and likes to eat chicken (Fox)
I’m an animal who’s small, has a big, bushy tail and loves to eat nuts (Squirrel).
I’m an animal who’s tiny and makes very quiet “squeaks” (Mouse).

Song: “If You’re Ever in the Forest” (Tune: “Did You Ever See a Lassie?”)
If you’re ever in the forest,
The forest, the forest,
If you’re ever in the forest,
You might see some deer—
A young one and an old one,
And some that can quickly run. (Run in place.)
If you’re ever in the forest,
You might see some deer.

If you’re ever in the forest,
The forest, the forest,
If you’re ever in the forest,
You might see some rabbits.–
They hop here, and they hop there, (Jump like rabbits.)
they hop, hop, hop everywhere.
If you’re ever in the forest,
You might see some rabbits.

If you’re ever in the forest,
The forest, the forest,
If you’re ever in the forest,
You might hear some birds.
A tweet here, and a tweet there,
they are flying around everywhere. (Fly like bird.)
If you’re ever in the forest.
You might hear some birds.

If you’re ever in the forest,
The forest, the forest,
If you’re ever in the forest,
You’ll surely see lots of trees.
There are tall ones and short ones, (Stretch high, and then get low.)
and young ones and old ones.
If you’re ever in the forest.
You surely see lots of tree.
(Adapted by Jolanda Garcia, KidsSoup Inc.)

Book: Let’s Play in the Forest by Laudia Rueda
Let's Play in the Forest while the Wof is Not Around book cover

Song: “If You’re an Owl and You Know It”
If you’re an owl and you know it hoot like this “Hoo(t), hoo(t)…”
If you’re an owl and you know it hoot like this “Hoo(t), hoo(t)…”
If you’re an owl and you know it then your hoot will surely show it
If you’re an owl and you know it hoot like this “Hoo(t), hoo(t)…”

Additional verses:
Flap your wings (flap wings)
Turn your head (turn it from side to side!)

Song: “Clap your Hands” – They Might Be Giants: Here Come the ABCs

Closing rhyme

Craft: Paper Animal Masks

Fall Story Time – Baby

Opening Song

Sign Language: orange, brown, yellow, not, mine, yours, tree, apple, pumpkin, leaves

Book: Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall! by Anne Sibley O’Brien

Song: “Did You Ever See a Baby?”
Did you ever see a baby, a baby, a baby?
Did you ever see a baby go this way and that? (lean side to side)
Go this way and that way and this way and that way (lean front to back, side to side)
Did you ever see a baby go this way and that? (lean front to back)

Rhyme: Great A, little a
Bouncing B,
The cat’s in the cupboard,
But she can’t see me.

Book: Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Song: “Over in the Barnyard” (Tune: “Down by the Station”)
Over in the barnyard,
Early in the morning,
See the little baby chicks,
all in a row, (hold up five fingers of one hand and wiggle them)
See the busy farmer,
Scattering their breakfast, (scatter chicken feed with other hand)
Peck, peck, (hold your four fingers together and place your thumb below to form a beak and make pecking motions)
Cheep, cheep (open and close your beak)
Off they go!

Song (with scarves): “Autumn Leaves” (Tune: “London Bridge”)
Autumn leaves are in the trees, in the trees, in the trees.
Autumn leaves are in the trees all over town.

Additional verses:
Autumn leaves are falling down…All over town.
Autumn leaves are whirling round…All over town.
Everybody rake them up… All over town.
Jump into the pile we made . . .All over town.

Book: Baby Loves Fall by Karen Katz
Baby Loves Fall book cover

Song (with shaky eggs): “Shakin’ Like a Leafy Tree” – The Wiggles: Racing to the Rainbow

Closing rhyme

Sports Story Time – Everybody

Opening Song

Book: Watch Me Throw the Ball! by Mo Willems

Song: “This Is the Way We Play” (Tune: “This is the Way”)
This is the way we bounce the ball, bounce the ball, bounce the ball,
This is the way we bounce the ball,
when we play basketball.

Additional verses:
Kick the ball… When we play soccer.
Hike the ball… When we play football.
Twirl around… When we do ballet.
Swing the bat… When we play baseball.

Book: Clothesline Clues to Sports People Play by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook, illustrated by Andy Robert Davies

Flannel: Baseball Number Match
Children matched the number on the baseballs to the glove with the same number of dots.

Song: “Player” (Tune: “Frere Jacques”)
Baseball player, baseball player
Swing the bat, hit the ball (pretend to swing a bat)
Run around the bases, run around the bases (run in place)
Home run, home run!

Football player, football player
Throw the ball, throw the ball
Run around the field, run around the field,
Touchdown, Touchdown!

Book: Let’s Play Football by Jan Mader

Fingerplay: Here’s A Ball
Here’s a little ball. Make a small with your thumb and index finger.
And here’s a bigger ball. Make a bigger ball using both thumbs and both index fingers.
And a great big ball, I see. Make a ball by holding your arms up over your head and touching your fingers together.
Shall we count them?
Are you ready?
One, Two, Three! Make all three balls in succession.

Movement: “Bunny Breath” – Kira Willey: Mindful Moments for Kids

Book:  Bunnies and Their Sports by Nancy L. Carson

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill: Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

Closing Song

Craft: Personal Pennants